Machine for spreading granular material



Nov. 19, 1929. J. H. MEIJER 1,736,124

MACHINE FOR SPREADING GRANULAR MATERIAL Filed Dec. 16, 1927 Johan HindnK \"IeL er INVENTOR;

$ M Attorney.

Patented Nov. 19, 1929 UNITED STATES J'OHAN HENDRIX MEIJER, F ROTTERDAM,NETHERLANDS MACHINE FOR SPREADING GRANULAR MATERIAL Application filedDecember 16, 1927, Serial No. 240,419, and in the Netherlands October15, 1927.

This invention concerns a machine for spreading, strewing or dredginggranular, pulverulent or like material, such as sugar, powdered sugar,dredglng chocolate, flour and the like. The machine is primarlly1ntended for use in chocolate, sweetmeat and biscuit factories but isapplicable with equal success to all cases in which any granular orpulverulent substance is to be spread or strewn, for instance to thestrewing of sand, gravel or broken stone.

The hitherto known strewing devlces which work with shaking grids havethe disadvantage that a considerable amount of waste is formed because amaterial proportion of the substance to be spread, particularly 1n thecase of granular material, such as castor sugar, is ground up and fallsthrough the grids in the form of dust. I

Furthermore for various kinds of materials it is necessary to change thegrids, an operation which is attended by loss of time and labour.

The machine with which the present 1nvention is concerned is altogetherdifferent from any spreading or strewing device proposed heretofore andis suitable for material of any degree of fineness encountered inpractice. While crushing or grinding of granular material is impossible,a very uniform distribution is ensured.

According to this invention the machine consists of a rotatable roll anda strip or the like of felt or other flexible or yielding materialmaintained at an adjustable distance from said roll. Preferably thestrip of felt or the like is disposed approximately in a planetangential to the roll.

In one form of machine according to the invention the felt strip issecured to one lower edge of a charging vessel or hopper suspendedpivotally above the roll. The hopper may, moreover, be furnished with anadjustment device whereby said hopper may be rotated about its point ofsuspension to vary the distance of the felt from the roll. If thisadjustment device engages with the middle of the felt strip it ispreferable, according to another feature ofthe invention, to providesprings which act upon the ends of the strip and kee said strip parallelto the'roll.

Final y the hopper-edge opposite to that furnished with the felt stripand, if occasion demand, the lateral edges of the hopper may, accordingto this invention, be provided with a second felt strip whereby saidedges are packed tightly against the roll.

One embodiment of the invention will now be explained by way of exampleby reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a machine according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line II1I in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is aplan View thereof.

As will be understood by reference to these figures the machine consistsof a roll 1, pref erably of wood, provided at each end with a metaljournal 2, 3. These journals 2, 3 0 are carried in bearing frames 4, 5while. when the machine is power-driven, a clutch 6 is provided on thejournal 3 to enable the machine to be set in and out of operationwithout it being necessary to bring the driving means to a standstill.The journals 2, 3 have flanges 7, 8 which adjoin the ends of the woodenroll 1 and extend radially somewhat beyond the latter. If desired thejournals 2, 3 may naturally be replaced by a continuous shaft passingthrough the roll.

A supply or charging hopper 9 for the material to be spread is arrangedabove the roll 1 and between the flanges 7, 8 already mentioned. Saidhopper is pivotally suspended from arms 10, 11 which are secured at oneend to the box-frames 4, 5 and are of the bent shape illustrated (Fig.1). The hopper 9 has at the front a plane vertical wall along the loweredge of which a stri 13 of felt or other flexible material is secure bymeans if 1a bar 12. Said felt strip is disposed approximately in a planetangential to the wooden roll and extends down to the horizontal centreplane through the roll. The inclined rear wall of the hopper 9 isprovided along the bottom with a second strip 14 of felt or othermaterial forming a tight closure against the roll 1.

In addition means are provided whereby the hopper 9 may be rotated aboutits point of suspension for the purpose of adjusting the felt strip 13in accordance with the degree of fineness of the material to be used orwith the rate at which it is to be spread. The adjustment deviceconsists essentially of an adjusting screw 15 which passes through afixed nut 16 and engages with a yoke-shaped member 17 secured to the bar12 whereby the felt strip 13' is attached to the front wall of thehopper. By turning the screw 15 the hopper 9 is rotated about itssuspension point. When, as in the construction illustrated theadjustment device is connected to the bar 12 at the centre only, it ispreferable for tension springs 18, 19 to be arranged to act on the endsof the bar, said springs being connected at the other ends to the arms10, 11 so that thebar 12 and therewith the feltstrip 13 are keptparallel to the roll, even if at one particular point a larger granuleshould be passed through. 1

The machine operates as follows The material to be spread or strewn isthrown into the hopper in which it 'falls or sinks on to the woodenroller 1 by the rotation of which it is carried, in the direction of thearrow in Fig. 2, towards the feltstrip 13 and is forced between thelatter and the roll: in this mannerit is uniformly distributed and fallsin the form of a curtain on to the objects it is to be spread over, thelatter being passed under the roll 1 by a wire conveyor apron.

If it is desired to change over to substantially coarser material, it isonly necessary to vary the position of the hopper 9 by means of theadjusting screw 15 and thus to adjust the distance of the felt-strip 13from the roll. Equally to enable a larger amount of the same material tobe spread it is neces sary to increase the distance between the felt andthe roll. The device described has the advantage over the knownarrangements that no further material is spread or dredged immediatelythe roll is brought to a standstill.

It is obvious that the machine may also be arranged to be manuallyoperated for which purpose it is merely necessary to fit a crank handleon one of the roller journals in place of the pulley and clutch;

What I claim is:

1. A machine for spreading, strewing or dredging granular, pulverulentor like material, comprising a rotatable roll and a strip of flexiblematerial maintained at an adjustable distance from said roll, a supplyhopper pivotally suspended above said roll, and adjustment means forangularly displacing said hopper about its axis of suspension andrelative to said roll, the leading wall of said hopper in the directionof rotation of the roll carrying the said strip of flexible material.

2. An apparatus of the character claimed in claim 1, in which the saidadjustment means engage thestrip of flexible material of the strip tomaintain the same parallel to the roll, and a second strip of flexiblematerial mounted on the edge of the hopper opposite to the first stri toform a tight fit between the lateral wali of the hopper and surface ofsaid roll.

'In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature this sixteenth day ofNovember, 1927.

J OHAN HENDRIK MEIJER.

